Ruffling sewing machine



Sept. 2 1924. 1,506,916

J. R. MOFFATT RUFFLING SEWING MACHINE Filed May 2 1919 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ill Sept. 2, 1924. 1,506,916

J. R. MOFFATT RUFFLING S EWING MACHINE Filed May 2, 1919 '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 attoznu y Sept. 2 .1924,

J. R. MOFFATT RUFFLING SEWING momma 7 Sheds-Sheet 5 Filed May 2 1919 Sept. 2 1924.

J. R. 'MOFFATT RUFFLING SEWING MACHINE Filed May 2 1919 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 2 1924.

J. R. MOFFATT RUFFLING SEWING MACHINE Filed May 2, 1919 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 clam, 3

Patented Sept. 2, 1924;

UNITED STATES PATENT. oar-ice.

' JAMES R. MOFFATT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION SPECIAL COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,'A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

BUFFLING SEWING MACHINE.

Application filed m 2, 1919. Serial in). 294,157.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES R. MorrA'rr, a citizen of the United States, residm at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illmois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rufiiing Sewing Machines, of which the followin 1s a description, reference being had to t e accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

' The invention relates to new and useful improvements in sewing machines, and more particularly to a sewing machine wherein the feeding mechanism operates to rufiie or gather one strip of fabric which is being stitched to another, and wherein the rufliing or gathering action of the feeding mechanism may be controlled by the operator.

In the patent granted to Joseph Berger, No. 1,228,393, June 5, 1917, there is shown a sewing machine of the above type, wherein the presser foot is formed in two sections, one of which co-operates with the main feed dog, while the other co-operates with the auxiliary feed dog, which may be given a differential movement relative to the main feed do and treadle cont-rolled means is rovide so that the foot section co-operat- 80 mg with the auxiliary feed dog may be lifted to cause the feeding mechanism .to feed both strips of fabric without gathering either strip.

The present invention is directed to an 86 improvement in the machine of the Berger patent, andhas for its object to provide an arrangement of presser foot control for the auxiliary feed dog which permits a strip of fabric to be led to the feeding mechanism in rear of the auxiliary feed dog which is located directly in front of the main feed dog.

A further object of the invention is to provide a controlling means for the sections of the presser foot, whereby the section cooperating with the'auxiliary feed dog may be raised to inoperative position and thereby render the auxlliary feeding action ineffective.

A still further objectof the invention is .to provide a treadle controlled cam means for regulating the position of the sections of the presser foot co-operating with the auxiliary feed dog.

In the drawings which show b way of illustration one embodiment of t e invent1on Figure 1 is aview partly in section and partly in end view showing a sewing machine embodying my improvements;

Fi ure 2 is a view partly in section and part y in plan, showing the work support and the presser foot, together with the controlling means for the presser foot;

Figure 3 is a front view of a portion of the machine;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view partly in section and partly in side elevation, showing the feed dogs and the presser'foot cooperating therewith;

Figure 5 is a view of the presser foot from the opposite side from that shown in Flgure 4;

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 5, but showing the section of the presser foot co-operating with the auxiliary feed dog as raised to render the feeding action of the auxiliary feed dog ineflective;

Figure 8 is a view showing more or less diagrammatically the position of the parts when the auxiliary'feed dog is ineffective;

Figure 9 is a view partly in section and partly in end elevation of the machine having a slightly modified form of controlling Ifneans for the auxiliary section of the presser oot;

Figure 10 is a view showing a portion of the overhanging arm, a portion of the'throat plate, and a presser foot with the controlling devices therefor;

Eigure 11 is a top 'plan view of a portion of the machine having the modified form of the invention embodied therein;

Figure 12 is a side view of the presser foot embodying the modified form of the invention.

The invention consists broadly of a sewing machine having a main feed dog and an auxiliary feed dog and wherein the auxiliary feed dog is given a differential feed movement relative to the main feed dog. The auxiliary feed dog is located directly in front of the main feed dog and is spaced a sufiicient distance therefrom so that a strip of fabric may be led to the main feed dog at a point in rear of the auxiliary feed dog.

' it is led to the stitching mechanism.

(lo-operating with the feed dogs is a presser foot having a main section directly over the main feed dog and an aux1liary sectlon which is carried by the main section and which is directly over the auxiliary feed dog. This auxiliary section of the presser foot 1s so mounted on the main section that it is moved one way in a vertical direction by means of a spring and in the opposite direction by cam means, so that the auxiliary section of the presser foot may be positioned relative to the main section. to co-operate with the auxiliary feed dog, which, having a differential movement relative to the main feed dog, will cause the strip of fabric fed thereby to be gathered or ruflied slightly has s auxiliary section of the presser foot may be raised through the cam means so as to relieve the strip of material passing over the auxiliary feed. dog from any pressure or rather from sufiicient pressure to cause the auxiliary feed dog to feed the strip to gather or rufile the same.

This control of the auxiliary section of the presser foot may be either a hand control, as shown in one form of the invention, or a treadle control, as shown in another form of the invention. I

Referring more in detail to the drawings, I have shown a hand controlled means for the auxiliary. section of the presser foot in es 1 to 8, inclusive.

he sewing machine in which the inven-' cated. This needle bar 3 carries as herein shown, two needles 4-4, and co-operating respectively with each needle is a looper 5. The material is fed to the stitching mechanism by a feeding mechanism which includes a main feed dog 6 and an auxiliary feed dog 7. The main feed dog 6 is carried b a feed bar 9 which is pivoted at 10 to a eed rocker 11, and this feed rocker ll is provided with an arm 12 connected to a link 13, which co-operates with a crank 14: car-, ried by a disk 15 mounted on the main shaft. The crank is eccentric to the axis of the shaft andthrough the arm 12 oscillates the feed rocker and thus moves the feed bar carrying the feed dog 6 back and forth. The auxiliary feed dog 7 is carried by a feed bar 16 which is mounted on the main feed bar so as to move up and down therewith,

' but also so as to have a movement on the feed bars are both raised and lowered simultaneousl shaft, w ich is indicated in Figure 9 at 21. This feeding mechanism is of a well known construction and per se forms no part of r the present invention. The essential feature by an eccentric 20 on the. main' presser foot 22. This presser foot 22 con sists of a main section 23 directly above. the main feed dog 6 and the auxiliary section 24 directly above the auxiliary feed dog 7.

The two sections of the presser foot are spaced from each other and the auxiliary section is directly in front of the main section. Mounted on the main section of the presser foot is a fabric guide 25 which directs a strip of fabric F over the top of the auxiliary presser foot and underneath the main section of the presser foot, so that this strip of fabric is acted upon only by the main feed dog 6'. The strip of fabric 'F led to the auxiliary feed dog 7 passesv underneath the auxiliary section 24 of the presser foot. Said strip of fabric may be directed by a suitable guide 26. The shape of the guides 25 and 26 may be greatly varied, ut, as disclosed in these drawings, each guide is formed so as to form a folded edge on the respective strips of fabric guided thereby.

In the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 8, inclusive and in Figures 9 to 12, in elusive, the parts so far described are identical and like numbers have been applied v thereto.

The auxiliary section of the presser foot is mounted so as to have a movement on the main section of the presser foot and independent of the movements of said main sec tion of the presser foot for the purpose of raising said auxiliary presser foot to a point so that theimaterial passing underneath the same will not be pressed against the auxiliar feed dog with sufficient force to cause said auxiliary feed dog to rufile or gather the materialthis is when the auxiliary section of the presser foot is in its raised position. The purpose, also, of this movement of the auxiliary section relative to the main section, is to permit said auxiliary section to be lowered to a posiition so as to press the material against the auxiliary feed dog and cause said auxiliary feed dog to not only feed the fabric strip engaged thereby but to rufile or gather the p as follows:

The auxiliary section 24 of the presser foot is carried by-an arm 27 The. main section of the presser foot has two laterally extending ears 28 and 29. Mounted in these cars is a post 30. The arm 27 at its inner end is in the form ofa sleeve surrounding said post and is free to slide up and down on said post. Underneath said am and forcing the same in an upward direction, is

a spring 31. Freely mounted on the post is a hand lever 32. The lower face of the hand lever 32 is formed with a cam 33, while the upper face of the arm 27 is formed with a cam 34. When the lever 32 is in the position shown in Figure 7, the cam faces 33 and 34 are out of engagement and the spring 31 forces the arm 27 to its extreme upward position. When, however, this lever 32 is swung to the position shown in Figure 5, then the cam faces 33 and 34 are brought one above the other and this forces the arm 27 downwardly compressing the spring 31. It will readily be seen that the operator may quickly throw the lever 32 so as to position the auxiliary section 24 of the presser foot either in its extreme lower position or in its extreme raised position. When this auxiliary section of the presser foot is lowered then it will force the fabric strip passing underneath the same into engagement with the auxiliary feed dog and the strip will be-ruffied or gathered. On the other hand, when the auxiliary section 24 of the/presser foot is raised the pressure is relieved from the fabric strip passing underneath the same and the auxiliary feed dog will be ineffective to ruflie or gather the same.

In Figures 8 to 12, inclusive, I have shown a modified form of means for raising and lowering the auxiliary section of the presser foot which is treadle controlled. In this form of the invention the auxiliary section 24 is carried by an arm 27. The arm 27 is mounted on a sleeve 36 which slides freely on the post 35. Said sleeve is formed with a slot 36 through which the pin 36 extends. Said pin 36 i's-fixed to the post 35 and is so disposed that when the post is raised by means hereinafter described, the sleeve 36?- and arm 27 carried thereby will be raised. This. pin and slot connection also permits the arm' and sleeve to yield when passing across seams, as the spring 39 is disposed between the sleeve 36 and the ear '37 and normally forces said sleeve 36 downwardly. The post 35 slides freely in the projecting ears 37 and 38 carried by the mainsection of the presser foot.

Pivotally connected to the upperend of the post 35 is a lever 40 which is formed with cam faces 41. The lever 40 projects rearwardly and is connected at its extreme end to a depending link 42. This link 42 is in turn pivoted to a lever 43 which is connected to a treadle (not shown). A spring 45 normally depresses the end of the lever 43 wh1ch is connected to-the link 42 for raismg the treadle. It will readily be seen that when the outer end of the lever 40 is raised the cain faces 41 engaging the ear 37 as a fulcrum will raise the post 35, and thus raise the arm 27 On the other hand, when the lever 40 is lowered'the cams release the post and the spring 39 will force the arm to its extreme lower position. It will be obvlous, therefore, that when the operator depresses the treadle the lever 40 will be raised and this will raise the auxiliary section of the presser foot, so that the auxiliary feed dog ecomes ineffective to ruflle or gather the material. While on the other hand, when the operator releases the treadle the springs will automatically position the parts so that the auxiliary section of the presser foot will hold the material forcibly against the auxiliary feed dog and said materlal passing underneath the auxiliary sect1on of the presser foot will be ruflied or gathered. By my arrangement the rufliing or gathermg action of the auxiliary feed dog may be regulated, so that a strip may be ruflled or gathered throughout a greater portion of its extent as it is stitched to the fabric section and the ruflling action may be caused to cease at the will of the operator, so that sections may be left unruflied or gathered, and so that the rufiiing or gathering action may be varied through a sufficient extent to bring the ends of the strip and the fabric section to which it is stitched out even and without changing the relative feeding movements of said feed dogs.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination with a main feeding mechanism including a main feed dog and an auxiliary feeding mechanism including an auxiliary feed dog having a differential movement relative to the main feed dog, of a presser foot having a main section co-operating with the main feed dog and an auxiliary section co-operating with the auxiliary feed dog, means for mounting said auxiliary section of the presser foot on said main section of the presser foot, whereby said auxiliary section may be shifted vertically to render the feeding action of the auxiliary feed dog effective or J ineffective, and means for shifting said auxiliary section at the will of the operator, said main section of the," resser foot having, a guide for directing t e fabric strip underneath said main section, and means for guiding a separate strip of fabric underneath the auxiliary section of the presser'foot.

2. The combination with a main feedin mechanism including a main feed dog an an auxiliary feeding mechanism includin an auxiliary feed dog having a difi'erentia movement relative to the main feed dog, of a presser foot having a main section cooperating with the mam feed dog and an auxiliary section co-operating wlth the auxiliary feed dog, an arm carrying said auxiliary section of the presser foot, laterally projecting ears mounted on the main section ofthe presser foot, a post freely shdable in the ears on which said arm is fixed, a spring normally forcing the post in a downward direction, andcam means for raising the post to lift the auxiliary section of the presser foot.

3. The combination with a main feeding mechanism including a main feed dog and an auxiliary feeding mechanism including an auxiliary feed dog having a diiferential movement relative to the main feed dog, of apresser foot having a main section co-op-,

crating with the main feed dog and an auxtreadle controlled lever connected to thev lever of the cam means, and a spring con nected to said treadle controlled lever, whereby when said treadle is released the cam means will be operated so as to lower the auxiliary section of the I resser foot into co-operative relation wit feed dog.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES R. MOFFATT.

the auxiliary Witnesses:

S. GEORGE Turn, ARTHUR F. LARRABEE. 

